How to Pick My Top 10 Films of 2009

Not an easy task, since there were quite a few I enjoyed this year – and some I missed that might have made the list, such as An Education, the dolphin documentary The Cove and John Woo’s Red Cliffs, to name a few. This looks like a bit of a replay of my summer recap – I mean, this summer at the movies kicked ass, in my opinion – so I apologize for the duplicates. But this is a solid list for me — in alphabetical order:

(500) Days of Summer: With a sweet complexity and quirky sensibilities, this ranks as one of the better anti-rom-coms. Thanks for thinking outside the box, guys.

District 9: I just watched this again last night and was just as mesmerized a second time. I think it’s how they mix the documentary style with straight storytelling or the juxtaposition between the sci-fi action and the heartfelt humanity. Wow. Not what you’d expect.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox: Have I mentioned how much I love Wes Anderson movies? Well, I do, and having him re-envision a Roald Dahl story with stop-motion animation and voiced by the likes of George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Anderson cronies Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Michael Gambon – is just pure Wes genius.

The Hangover: Great premise + hilarious execution = a comedy you must own. Which I now do. I can’t wait to watch all the bonus features.

The Hurt Locker: Again, just not a war movie about bomb diffusers you’d expect – and yet, all-too familiar with its adrenaline junkies and nail-biting tension. A pure rush, this one.

Inglourious Basterds: Such a hoot and so very Quentin Tarantino. I’m just thinking that this might win Best Picture. Its Jew-revenge fantasy alone is going to give it a notch up – plus Tarantino hasn’t ever won before. Could be the perfect combo.

Star Trek: Just a damn fine summer blockbusting popcorn action-flick – made even more so if you are a Trekkie like me. Go, Spock and Kirk!

Sherlock Holmes: Another damn entertaining film – made more so by its clever casting and mystery-solving antics. Go, Holmes and Watson!

Up: Just watched this one again, too (we are big on giving DVDs for Christmas) – what a great story, told again through the wondrous eyes of Pixar.

Zombieland: Haven’t laughed this hard at zombies since, well, ever. And I totally memorized all those rules, you know, just in case.

Here are some of my honorable mentions: Land of the Lost and The Twilight Saga: New Moon (yes, I will stand by these two choices); Taken (so quick and kick ass); Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (completely endearing and F.U.N.N.Y.); Avatar (for the visuals alone); Up in the Air (for its quick-witted-ness); The Blind Side (surprisingly schmaltz free); Paranormal Activity (for scaring the bejeezus out of me); Drag Me to Hell (for making me laugh at scary, gross stuff); Julie & Julia (for teaching me how to poach an egg); Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (because I love ALL Harry Potter movies); I Love You, Man (for Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, together as one)

And some I didn’t like so much: Old Dogs (tooooo old); Shorts (too many fart jokes, if that’s possible); The Ugly Truth (too ugly); Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (too many robots); Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (too many girlfriends); The Pink Panther 2 (one too many Pink Panthers)